Three years after Colonel Gaddafi’s demise, Libya’s fragile government is struggling to impose order.
Heavily-armed former anti-Gaddafi fighters rule the streets of the capital Tripoli.
Two rival groups have exchanged rocket and artillery fire in all-out combat for control of the capital’s main airport. On July 28, a missile hit a fuel storage tank in the vicinity, closing off most international flights and leaving fire fighters battling to control the blaze.
Meanwhile, scores of people died in the oil-rich eastern city of Benghazi following clashes between Libyan Special Forces and Islamist militants during the same weekend.
According to medical and security forces 36 people were killed and a further 65 wounded during Sunday’s conflict.
Thick, black smoke could be seen over the Benghazi skyline for hours afterwards.
Dozens of families have been forced to evacuate from the area to escape the violence.
Libyan authorities say more than 150 people have died in Tripoli and Benghazi in the past two weeks of intensified fighting.
Several countries have urged their citizens to leave the country, while the United States, United Nations and Turkey have all pulled diplomats out.
The government has appealed for international help to stop Libya from becoming a failed state.
